Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
He said, “I am so sorry! I totally forgot about the meeting.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → He apologized and said that he had totally forgotten about the meeting.
Reporting an apology:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said, "I am so sorry!" | apologized | "I am so sorry!" is an apology. To apologize means to say sorry. So these words change into the verb "apologized". |
| Joining word | " " (quotation marks) | and said that | "And said that" brings in the second sentence. |
| Tense change | forgot | had forgotten | The simple past "forgot" moves back to the past perfect "had forgotten". The simple past is formed with the past form of the verb (V2). The past perfect is formed with had + past participle (V3). The reporting verb is in the past. |
| Pronoun change | I | he | The man is talking about himself. So "I" becomes "he". |
| Full sentence | He said, "I am so sorry! I totally forgot about the meeting." | He apologized and said that he had totally forgotten about the meeting. |
Thanks and greetings are reported in the same way, with verbs like thanked, greeted and wished. Example: Sunil said, "Thank you for your help, Neha." → Sunil thanked Neha for her help.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: He is being sorry for having totally forgotten about the meeting. — Incorrect. "Sorry" is a feeling. It is not used with "is being". We say "he is sorry", not "he is being sorry".
Option 3: He was so sorry that he had totally forgot about the meeting. — Incorrect. "Had" needs the third form of the verb. "Had forgot" should be "had forgotten".
Option 4: Having forgotten totally about the meeting he is very sorry. — Incorrect. He said these words in the past. The present "is" does not report them.